by Nate Gustafson ’29 on February 12, 2026

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Opinion - Campus

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On the average weekday, over 41,000 Rhode Islanders board a Rhode Island Public Transit Authority bus, and many of those trips begin, end, or require a stop at the infamous Kennedy Plaza in downtown Providence. What has historically served as a hub for civic engagement and multi-modal transportation is now viewed by many as one of the least desirable places to go in the city. Although the adjacent ice rink and park bring some sense of brightness and lure people to the area, many make it a point to avoid the plaza in its entirety due to its reputation as an epicenter of illegal and dangerous activity, particularly at night. This image renders the plaza as little more than an obstacle to be avoided, and a hindrance to getting people to “Try Transit,” as Rhode Island Public Transport Authority advertises at our basketball and hockey games. 

As students at Providence College, we are given free, unlimited usage of RIPTA bus services. The college makes sure to sell you with this benefit during the application and touring process, and yet hardly anybody actually takes the bus. In fact, there are often so many Ubers occupying the bus stop area that the bus has to park in the middle of Huxley Gate instead, blocking traffic and causing delays. But as someone who likes to get the most value out of my college tuition, I opt to take the bus frequently. As such, my girlfriend and I often find ourselves waiting in Kennedy Plaza for the 55 bus back to campus after spending time in the otherwise nice city of Providence. However, as the 55 only runs every 45 minutes, we are often forced to wait an extended amount of time, and often in the dark, which leads to many uneasy and nervous moments. 

I have experienced these less-than-ideal feelings firsthand on numerous occasions. I recall one night in December, when we were followed and subsequently sized up by a man dressed in all black, forcing us to call an Uber back to campus as we did not feel safe loitering in Kennedy Plaza any longer. This situation was relatively minor compared to what others have experienced. One of the first results on Google informs you of an axe-wielding man attacking a 60-year-old gentleman, lacerating his torso. Another tells of a 23-day period in 2024 when there were 11 assaults, or just about one every other day, in the plaza. An NBC story describes a 20-arrest drug bust taking place there. And yet, despite all of this criminal, dangerous, and otherwise creepy activity, the Providence Police Department is almost never seen patrolling in and around Kennedy Plaza. 

I believe the solution is simple: deploy at least one police officer to Kennedy Plaza during all operating hours. An improved sense of safety and security would do numbers for RIPTA’s ridership and customer satisfaction, and solve the most obvious problem in their system. I would wager that more Rhode Islanders, especially college students, would feel safer riding the bus if there was a police presence in the area to cut down on the crime and shady activity. For a city and state that have placed such an emphasis on getting cars off the road, and have pitched their public transportation network as the solution, it seems like a no-brainer that police should be stationed to patrol one of the highest crime areas in the city that also happens to double as the terminus of two-thirds of the state’s bus routes. But, clearly the Providence Police Department feels that their resources are better allocated elsewhere, which is why Kennedy Plaza will forever remain as the glaring Achilles heel in the otherwise resurgent city of Providence.

by Olivia Gleason '26 on February 5, 2026

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Opinion

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Hello Cowl readers, happy February! I hope everyone is staying warm despite the biting cold days we’ve been having and the copious amount of snow that seems as if it will never go away. As a student living in off-campus housing this year, I’ve been witnessing the city of Providence’s snow cleanup job firsthand for the past week, and I have my frustrations. For several days after the storm, I was unable to drive my car safely out of my driveway as my street still had several inches of compacted snow on it. Even as I am writing this ed column, my two-lane street is still more or less a one-way street because of how much snow still persists past the sidewalks, and each time I drive my car on it, my wheels become impacted with slushy snow. I completely understand that this was the biggest storm Providence has faced in years, and I am so grateful to the workers who go out to clean up the streets. However, I believe that the city could have done a much better job at organizing its resources to get this done more quickly, and for that, I am left feeling frustrated with the city’s mayor and other political officials. 

This got me thinking about how healthy it is to have qualms with your representatives. This storm left me questioning if more could have been done to keep residents safe and get them back to their usual routines. In today’s incredibly polarized political climate, I think it has become a widespread norm for individuals to turn a blind eye when a political figure they support does something they might disagree with or that frustrates them. We see it daily with Republican members of Congress who refuse to speak even the smallest ill of the President, we see it on the news and in interviews, and we see it in our daily political conversations. In short, much political discourse has been reduced to either supporting a politician completely or not at all. 

I think that such an approach to politics is incredibly unproductive. Our democratic system was built to include several checks on its representatives, to make them at the will of the voice of the people. Instead, today, many individuals cannot think to admit it when a politician of their party messes up or promotes a policy that they disagree with. To do this is perceived to be a betrayal of their entire party and system of beliefs, when in reality, it is nothing of the sort. Disagreeing occasionally with a politician you generally support is necessary to democracy, and it is necessary to bring about positive political change. Without such disagreement, without such pressure from the citizenry, politicians have nothing to hold them accountable—no matter what they do, they know that their base will offer them blind support. 

In short, I was frustrated with Providence this past week, but this doesn’t mean I have betrayed them or my own political affiliations. Taking issue with your representatives once in a while—or even all the time—just means that you care enough to demand better from them for a better society. Holding them accountable, especially when you generally support them, is an act of civic responsibility. We must be willing to participate in thoughtful criticism, to voice frustration along with praise, if we want to get the most from politics. 

by Maria Mantini ’26 on February 5, 2026

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Opinion - Campus

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On Jan. 25, I watched from my window as mounds of snow began to accumulate all over campus and visibility lowered to a cloudy white haze. With classes canceled for the next day, this was a prime day to catch up with friends, binge watch the show you’ve been meaning to start, or grab whatever you could find in your dorm and go sledding down the Guzman Hall hill. By the end of the day, the snow was knee-deep. After the snowfall continued into Monday, parts of Rhode Island were left covered in 11.5–20 inches of snow.

By Tuesday, the college was able to hold classes and most pathways had been salted and cleared off. However, there was one blaring exception to the college’s clean-up efforts: the student parking lots. A quick walk through any student lot on campus proved that cars that were parked before the storm were still parked there a few days later, unable to move from the mounds of snow that surrounded them.

My friend is currently a full-time student teacher at a local elementary school. After a virtual teaching day on Monday, we walked to the Hunt-Cavanagh Lot to check on her car and it was clear that she would not be able to drive it the next day. The snow surrounding the car was over a foot deep and extended more than a foot behind it. While plows had come through to clear open parts of the lot, no effort had been made to remove the snow near any of the cars.

Relying on her car to get to student teaching, she went to the Office of Public Safety to ask when the lots would be cleared, to which the answer was a firm, “we don’t know.” This lapse in effort on the part of the college caused her to miss student teaching on Tuesday (a day she will have to make up later in the semester) and take an Uber to her school on Wednesday. Other student teachers expressed similar concerns about their ability to travel and even their reputations for having to miss work. Providence College should not be preventing students from being able to attend something that is part of their required course of studies.

With faculty lots largely cleared, it seems that the priority in the clean up was the college’s ability to hold classes as soon as possible. My friend received no communication from Public Safety or the Office of Transportation about what to do or what the timeline was for clearing the lots. She even mentioned to me that she wouldn’t mind shoveling out her own car if the college provided shovels. Instead, she was left desperately asking around for one, not anticipating beforehand that this would be a problem. Her car was not cleared out until Wednesday night.

With the $400 students are paying a year to park on campus, the lack of attention and communication about this matter is appalling. Many students do not keep cars on campus just for fun, but rather rely on them to get to student teaching, jobs, nursing clinicals, or other obligations. It is understandable that the college would need some time to get snow cleared away after a storm of this magnitude, but the student lots were cleared days after the rest of campus was. The least Providence College could have done was communicate the plans to their students. By not making an effort to assist with this matter and giving no clear timeline for this work to be done, the school is making a stark statement that these student interests are a low priority.

by Sarah McCall ’26 on February 5, 2026

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News

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Thousands Gather in Protest at RI State Capitol

On Friday, Jan. 30, thousands of people gathered at the Rhode Island State House for an ICE Out National Day of Action protest. The streets were filled with high school students, college students, families, Providence community members, and Rhode Island residents. Protesters had signs with phrases like “Abolish ICE,” “We Love Our Neighbors,” “Clear the snow and melt the ICE,” and “Students Demand Justice.” The signs ranged from cardboard boxes with sharpied words to well drawn political cartoons. Some protestors used old cereal boxes and buckets, and one little girl even assembled her sign with two pieces of construction paper and a large stick she found.

I had the opportunity to talk to her mother, who said that she took her daughter and son out of school that day to attend the protest. She explained her reasoning for bringing her young kids with her, saying that she always encourages them to fight for what is right and that she couldn’t sit back. When I asked why she felt it was important to show up, she said, “We are handing this world off to our kids, and we need to make sure it is a safe world for them.” She also told me that her son wore a Spiderman mask so that he could “feel like a hero.” Her daughter also felt like a hero, using the large stick to raise her sign above the crowd. It read “People are Dying” and “Stop Doing This,” with an angry face that she had drawn. These three protestors, along with thousands of others, marched through the city of Providence in hopes of making a change and uniting our community.

There was a significant student presence at the protest. Hundreds of high school and middle school students in Providence organized a walkout and met the protesters at the State House. The students chanted as they walked to the State House, emphasizing that life cannot go on as normal with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents still on our streets. Many of their signs referenced the walkout, saying that they missed a lesson to teach others one and “Students Say ICE Out.”

There were volunteers walking around the protest providing information about different organizations. I had the opportunity to speak with Natalie, a volunteer with the Rhode Island Deportation Defense Line. She explained the program as a community effort to report ICE activity and keep ICE out of the area. With this Defense Line, community members can call (401) 675-1414 to report any unusual activity or potential ICE operations. This call will then be verified by the Rhode Island Deportation Defense Line before it is sent out to an ICE Watch Alert Channel WhatsApp. As I talked with Natalie, I asked why she thought it was important to be at the protest. She said, “We are the people who keep ourselves safe. We need to do our part as a community.” 

Instagram accounts like @pvdstudentunion, @dare.pvd, @amornetwork, and @pslrhodeisland consistently post about protests and ways to get involved locally.

by Victoria Miele ’28 on January 22, 2026

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News

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On Tuesday, Jan. 13, Rhode Island Governor Daniel J. McKee gave a State of the State address, expressing hopeful ideas to make life in Rhode Island more comfortable.

Governor McKee began his address by recognizing the shooting at Brown University which took two students’ lives last month. He expressed his regrets and informed everyone of the action being taken to keep the multitude of colleges and universities in the state safe. McKee’s administration has “convened leaders from all Rhode Island colleges and universities to review security protocols” and he has begun the process of coordinating mental health counselors and professionals to help any students throughout the state who may need their services. 

Throughout the speech, McKee addressed economic problems that continue to make it difficult for Rhode Islanders to live comfortably. McKee made it clear that economics were a top priority by addressing, “the costs that keep Rhode Islanders up at night, the costs we must lower to keep our state competitive and growing.”

Some of the most significant acts Governor McKee has made to help cut costs and support families in Rhode Island have been through a child tax rebate which “put $40 million directly back into families’ pockets,” as well as ensuring that no drivers in Rhode Island are subject to a car tax, and cutting $35 million from electric and gas bills as a result of suspending an energy tax.

Moving forward, McKee has laid out a new plan called the Affordability for All agenda, which would keep $215 million in the pockets of Rhode Islanders just in the first year and is projected to keep $1.4 billion in those pockets over the next five years. The plan promotes creating a permanent child tax credit, lowering the gas tax, reducing charges on electrical bills, lowering health care costs, and eliminating the tax on Social Security. As Rhode Island is one of the eight states that taxes Social Security, this plan would be helpful in keeping Rhode Island competitive with other states. It will also prevent retired citizens from moving out of Rhode Island, and therefore help the state’s overall economy.

For young families struggling to pay for their lives with children, the plan implements an expanded dependent deductible making $325 available per child.

Additionally, Rhode Island suffers from having the fourth-highest residential electricity rates across the whole nation. These high rates are very challenging for many families, but the Affordability for All agenda is planning to provide $21 million in cuts just this year and over $1 billion over the next five years.

McKee made it very clear that he believes that “the cost of health care is too high” in Rhode Island, which has been met with much agreement among his constituents. His plan is to invest $9.5 million to establish a Marketplace Affordability program which will support the 20,000 Rhode Islanders who are at risk of losing their HealthSourceRI coverage.

Additionally, his budget for the year includes $10 million in state and federal funds that will be directed towards supporting hospitals as they must prepare to have more patients who no longer have health insurance. Recently, the Trump Administration implemented new standards for qualifying for Medicaid and Rhode Island is planning to invest $20 million to ensure the state remains in compliance with these new regulations and help Medicaid recipients stay insured.

Over the course of McKee’s administration, over 36,000 private sector jobs have been added in the state of Rhode Island. His belief is that “at the heart of opportunity is… jobs,” and he spoke in his address about continuing to create more jobs and opportunities for the people of Rhode Island.

In the proposed budget, $215 million has been set aside to help modernize the campuses of the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College, and the Community College of Rhode Island. In addition to this 21 Community Learning Centers have opened up across Rhode Island to give younger students the opportunity to learn as well. Rhode Island has suffered for years from students’ chronic absenteeism, but this year 3.7 million hours of student learning were added through the Attendance Matters initiative.

In addition to providing for higher education, McKee proposed a bond that would offer $50 million to build and upgrade Career and Technical Education classrooms all across the state. This would provide “students the space, equipment, and resources they need to succeed in high-demand careers and good-paying jobs.”

Affordable housing has been a crisis across the nation and it is no different in Rhode Island. McKee has proposed that his budget will advocate for a $120 million housing bond with $25 million specifically dedicated to increasing homeownership.

McKee closed his State of the State address with the final remark, “Rhode Island’s future is one worth fighting for.”

by Shannon Kelly ’26 on January 22, 2026

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News

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On Saturday, Jan. 10 and Sunday, Jan. 11, thousands of Rhode Islanders participated in a rally in conjunction with “ICE Out for Good” outside of the Rhode Island State House. The protests occurred in various parts of the United States, including California, Minnesota, and Georgia. The rallies took place in response to the murder of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis at the hands of an Immigration Customs Enforcement agent that occurred Wednesday, Jan. 7.

These rallies reflect the country’s opposition to the increased hostility and intimidation tactics that have been demonstrated by ICE under the Trump administration. ICE agents are instructed to respond with “minimal force” when attempting to remove people from their cars and that “deadly force” is only acceptable when one’s life is perceived to be in danger. Questions regarding whether or not ICE agents have been properly trained to engage peacefully with others are a focal point of the recent investigation into the killing of Renee Nicole Good and the injuries of civilians in Portland, OR.

On Tuesday, Jan. 13, Homeland Security posted a clip on social media of Stephen Miller, White House Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor, saying that “You have immunity to perform your duties, and no one—no city official, no state official, no illegal alien, no leftist agitator or domestic insurrectionist—can prevent you from fulfilling your legal obligations and duties.” This statement ultimately proves to raise the question of the true role of an ICE agent and the credibility of “immunity” coming into play when one’s life may not be in danger.

Many people share sentiments of fear regarding the presence of ICE in their local communities. ICE has been seen in our local community in Providence countless times, as well as being spotted remaining outside of schools. 

“ICE Out for Good” is a national coalition. Some of their goals include honoring the lives of those taken by ICE, calling for ICE to leave communities, and creating spaces for collective action. The coalition remains steadfast in demanding accountability for the lives that have been lost, as well as calling towards ending violent ICE raids that are occurring in countless communities across our country. National organizers have said that they “are grounded in moral witness, public accountability, and collective care.”

by Izzy Mignardi ’27 on October 30, 2025

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News

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Rhode Island saw a record number of 29.4 million tourists in 2024. Governor Dan McKee credits this 3.5 percent increase from the previous year to the state’s “strategic investments in destination marketing.” For example, Rhode Island Commerce launched its “All That” campaign in February of 2024 to showcase how Rhode Island truly has everything: history, beaches, culture, and more. 

Visitors spent over six billion dollars on food, lodging, retail, and transportation. This averages out to around 16.3 million dollars spent per day. Most visitors traveled for leisure rather than business, more stayed for the day rather than overnight, and very few were traveling internationally. 

Still, the traveler economy supported 88,509 jobs. Natives often complain that the tourism industry exploits the natural landscapes and increases the cost of living for residents. It also leads to increased congestion, especially this past summer, with ongoing construction on the Washington Bridge. Nonetheless, the Tourism Economics report cites that each household would have to be taxed an additional $2,230 to replace the visitor-generated taxes, which total $992 million.

Among popular tourist destinations in RI is Newport, known for its famous mansions and Cliff Walk. It’s also the county with the highest number of visitors this year. A close second was Providence, which offers tourists historical sights, fantastic food in Federal Hill, and community events like WaterFire. Both cities are home to locations of the Nitro Bar, a café that has become an internet sensation and is at the top of many tourists’ to-do lists. And of course, in the summer months, many come from neighboring states such as Massachusetts and Connecticut to visit the gorgeous beaches of Block Island.

With only a few months left in the year, we will soon see if this level of tourism has been maintained in 2025.

by Courtney Wight ’26 on September 25, 2025

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Opinion

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As a native Albany, New Yorker, I’ve never had the experience of just driving for half an hour and spending time at the beach. I still am not a big beach person (I prefer the lake), but I can appreciate the appeal of living so close to the ocean. During my time at Providence College, I’ve had the privilege of participating in a beach clean-up with the Save The Bay organization.

Save The Bay is an incredibly important organization that works throughout the state of Rhode Island. From their shoreline clean-ups to a variety of educational activities, Save The Bay is creating an atmosphere that acknowledges and cares for the surrounding environment. Save The Bay even runs seal watching tours and operates their own aquarium in Newport. Additionally, this organization amplifies the voices of local communities in Rhode Island as it fights to protect environmental areas from developers and projects that would harm the waters and local wildlife. From supplying small tips on how to be more environmentally conscious regarding lawn care to providing resources for local petitions, Save The Bay plays an incredibly important role in protecting Rhode Island’s coastline and beaches.

Many students at PC, like myself, are not from Rhode Island, and should thus take advantage of all that it has to offer as the Ocean State. Through Save The Bay events, students can see different parts of Rhode Island and experience the beauty of its beaches while also volunteering and helping to keep these lands clean. 

Save The Bay clean-ups occur almost weekly in a variety of locations across the state. Students just need to create an account with Save The Bay to have access to all of the clean-ups across the state. Save The Bay provides all of the supplies, including trash bags, gloves, and trash pickers, so students simply have to show up and pick up trash.

While my willingness to spend a Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning picking up trash might be tied to my larger love for the environment, it also feels amazing to participate and be able to physically see how your efforts are improving the coastline. Sometimes we all need a break to experience nature, especially as classes start to pick up. Also, once you finish the clean-up, you’re at the beach! So, try at least once in your four years at PC to grab a friend, pick a beach, and help keep Rhode Island’s beaches clean.

by The Cowl Editor on April 20, 2023

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Letters to the Editor

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Did you know that there is a white supremacist group in Rhode Island looking to recruit people to make their cause heard? This group of neo-Nazis in Rhode Island is grasping the attention of residents by attaching flyers to rocks to recruit white European people in the area. White supremacy in Rhode Island is essential to address because the community of people of color residing in cities such as Providence is at risk of becoming threatened and ultimately oppressed (even more so than they are now) due to the presence of the Nationalist Social Club 131. We hope that communities of people of color feel heard and safe within their homes. Ultimately, the continued ignorance of groups like this club and people’s ignorance about the extent of racism in New England will continue to divide the community and will result in more lives lost, more people living in fear, and the escalation of racism.

How can we, as Providence College students, help this cause and bring the correct attention to it? We as a community are not going to tackle the issue of racism with one shot. In addition, it’s important to have non-linear thinking when we approach these issues. Non-linear thinking is when you do not expect linear results. This is important to keep in mind when working as a community to tackle racism, because it’s not always going to go as planned or feel like it’s making a difference, even when it is. 

With that being said, reaching out to the NAACP is a great way to improve the community by learning more about the civil rights organization or simply reporting racial incidents, such as the flier the white supremacist group is distributing.

Let’s do all we can to improve our community and those around us! Contact the closest NAACP:

Phone: 401-521-6222
Email: naacpprovidence@gmail.com

Address: 7 Thomas P Whitten Way, Providence, RI 02903

– Kelvin Afranie ’25, Juanjose Cabrera ’26, Quade Oser ’25, and Aneeya Samone Dancy ’26

by David Salzillo Jr. '24 on April 20, 2023
Opinion Staff

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Opinion

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Business to Benefit the Local Community

Across many college campuses—including rival Catholic colleges like Boston College—the laboratories of entrepreneurship empower students to transform business skills into real-life success. At their best, they challenge students to see business as public service: how can I make my life and the lives of those around me better?  

Luckily, the head of Providence College’s new Donald Ryan ’69 Incubator for Entrepreneurship in the Arts & Sciences, Kelly Ramirez, shares my perhaps expansive definition of entrepreneurship. When she discussed the College’s plans for the Incubator with the Student Advisory Council at Providence College, she made many of the same points. Her most interesting suggestion at that meeting was to have the Incubator foster partnerships between students and local Rhode Island businesses. I share her enthusiasm for such a plan. In my later discussions with her, she has tied it to a socially responsible model of business she believes the College ought to promote. She has mentioned the example of Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, who recently transferred the ownership of his company, worth about $3 billion, “to a specially designed trust and a nonprofit organization.” I, again, agree; Chouinard’s community-centered business model should inspire our program to set out an ambitious new vision for laboratories of entrepreneurship.  

Still, how do we implement our Providence College business vision? To answer that question, we must ask ourselves: what opportunities does Rhode Island offer that other states like Massachusetts don’t? And how can we exploit those opportunities? To those questions, I reply: look no further than the Rhode Island Foundation. Under the leadership of Neil Steinberg, the organization has been leading the way in philanthropy. During the 15 years that Mr. Steinberg has been President and CEO, it has created a whole host of programs to aid many of Rhode Island’s struggling communities, and it has funded a whole host of scholarships to help mold the next generation of Rhode Island leaders. From the Foundation’s Community Grants program to its Carter Roger Williams Scholarship awards, it has provided scores and scores of opportunities to people in a state that desperately needs them. Finally, from my personal experience, I can tell you this: the staff of the Rhode Island Foundation are people who appreciate the value of personal relationships and community engagement, and who will always see their work as a vehicle of positive social change. 

A Ryan Incubator partnership with the Rhode Island Foundation has many benefits. To start, it allows the Incubator to target its initiatives better to Rhode Island’s needs. Political campaigns require grassroots organizers, and so will Providence College’s business initiatives require the expertise of local activists. But a Rhode Island Foundation partnership could also improve Rhode Island’s business climate. How? Because local philanthropists like Neil Steinberg often start out as local business leaders; Steinberg himself began his career as a banker and fundraiser. If Providence College is educating the next generation of business leaders, why not hold up these local examples of philanthropy as the touchstone of the “Providence College business philosophy”? Why not challenge Providence College students to give back to Providence College by giving back to the community that made Providence College possible?  

Now, am I suggesting that the Ryan Incubator pursue a partnership with the RI Foundation at the expense of other great community-based organizations in Rhode Island and even beyond? Certainly not. I applaud Kelly Ramirez’s plans to coordinate with organizations like the United Way and Half Full, LLC, and I expect that these efforts will yield lasting success. However, I also believe the RI Foundation could have an especially promising part to play in the Ryan Incubator’s community outreach program.  

Providence College, then, has a great opportunity to make its Incubator program stand out. And, with Mr. Steinberg retiring as President and CEO, and (soon-to-be former) Congressman David Cicilline taking his place, who knows what the RI Foundation and Providence College can accomplish together? In the words of Rick Blaine from Casablanca, this might just be “the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”